Forest Management Plan in Peru: SERNANP and SERFOR Requirements (2025)

The Forest Management Plan (Plan de Manejo Forestal, PMF) is the technical-legal instrument that authorises forest product extraction in Peru. Without it, no logging, resin, fruit, or other forest product extraction is legally valid. However, creating a quality PMF is one of the most complex processes in the Peruvian forest sector: it involves field inventories, geospatial analysis, technical writing, cartographic maps to SERNANP/SERFOR standards, and an approval process that can take 3 to 18 months.

Types of Forest Management Plans in Peru

Peru has two main forest authorities, each with their own formats:

SERNANP: Plans for Natural Protected Areas

• PMA (Environmental Management Plan): for resource extraction inside ANP direct-use zones. Has 17 mandatory sections including biophysical diagnosis, impact assessment, mitigation measures, monitoring programme, and closure plan.
• PMR (Resource Management Plan): for non-timber forest product (NTFP) extraction — aguaje, shiringa, wild cocoa — in wildlife-use and buffer zones.

SERFOR: Plans for Concessions and Private Plots

• DEMA-M (Timber Management Declaration): simplified instrument for timber extraction in smaller areas (up to 500 ha for private plots). 15 mandatory sections; requires census of all trees ≥10 cm DBH.
• DEMA-NM (Non-Timber Management Declaration): for NTFP extraction. Only Section 7 (NTFP) applies; Section 6 (timber) is omitted.
• PGMF (General Forest Management Plan): for large timber concessions (over 500 ha). Most complex instrument with 100% inventory in the Annual Management Unit (UMA) and statistical 2% inventory in the rest of the concession.

Cartographic requirements: the most common bottleneck

Most PMF observations and rejections from SERNANP and SERFOR are due to cartographic issues. Maps must meet strict standards:

• Datum and projection: WGS 84 / UTM zone corresponding to the department
• Scale: 1:25,000 or 1:10,000 depending on area size (SERNANP requires 1:10,000 for ANP)
• Legend: mandatory legend with SERNANP or SERFOR standard symbology
• Cartouche: map title, numeric and graphic scale, datum, projection, data sources, date, preparer name, signature of licensed professional
• North arrow: magnetic or geographic north arrow
• Location inset: relative location of the plot within the department and Peru

SERNANP additionally requires maps signed by a licensed Forestry Engineer, Geographer, or equivalent professional with certification number and official stamp.

The 7 mistakes that most delay approval

1. Threatened species not specifically addressed. DEMA and PMA must explicitly mention every species listed in D.S. 043-2006-AG, CITES Appendix II/III, or IUCN Red List, with specific management measures.
2. Maps in incorrect projection. Submitting in geographic WGS84 instead of UTM is the most frequent observation reason.
3. Extraction schedule ignoring seasonal bans. SERFOR establishes extraction bans during reproductive seasons for species like big-leaf mahogany (Swietenia macrophylla).
4. Missing Forest Regent signature. DEMA-M requires the signature of a SERFOR-registered Forest Regent. The plot owner cannot sign alone.
5. Inconsistent volumes between inventory and extraction schedule. Authorised volume cannot exceed inventoried volume.
6. Monitoring programme without specific indicators. Monitoring must include specific indicators, measurement methods, frequency, and responsible party.
7. GPS data without reference system specified. All coordinates must specify datum (WGS84), UTM zone, and GPS equipment precision.

How Terralyr accelerates PMF preparation

• Plan de Manejo Builder: digital builder with all 17 SERNANP PMA sections and 15 SERFOR DEMA-M/NM sections, with mandatory field validation, inconsistency alerts, and completion tracking
• Offline field census: mobile app for recording trees with GPS, DBH, height, and species offline; automatic volume calculation V = π/4 × DBH² × H × 0.7
• Map standards engine: map generation to SERNANP, SERFOR, GORE, or custom cartographic standards; automatic cartouche with all required fields
• Version control: 5-status workflow (draft → under review → approved → submitted → archived) with section-level change history
• Annex compliance engine: 15 annex types per instrument with 0-100 readiness score